The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022 has created a massive disruption, especially for those in southern states like Mississippi. With these new regulations, many are confused as to who can receive an abortion and where. Because of this, dangerous options such as drinking certain teas and taking particular herbs—ones that doctors have deemed “deadly”—are becoming more of a reality now than ever. Doctors are not able to provide the best care for their patients in fear of lawsuits and imprisonment. This change leads me to ask: Are we as a nation shifting more to the right?
Roe v. Wade protected a woman’s right to receive abortions and the right to procreate and control one’s own medical treatment. It also protected the privacy of those who may be able to get pregnant. The overturn of Roe v. Wade has allowed state governments to control what one can and cannot do to their own body.
Pregnancy Centers: ‘Anti-Abortion Clinics In Disguise’
Almost 50% of all pregnancies in this country are unintended, and due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many individuals in severely affected states have resorted to online searches for their next steps. Unfortunately, the first result these searches yield in particularly conservative states is pregnancy centers, many of which are anti-abortion clinics in disguise.
For example, certain pregnancy centers may advertise themselves as a clinic that offers free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds and STD or STI information. However, when you read the fine print, these clinics are actually against those seeking abortions and, in fact, spread false information.
They often manipulate a tactic in which they will encourage those seeking abortions to make an appointment for a consultation, and in the consultation, staff members use manipulation and fear-mongering rhetoric pertaining to abortion, attempting to deter patients. As the window for seeking abortion is quite limited in certain states, this constant back and forth is used to waste time and curtail that window.
These health clinics will often appear online as abortion consultations or even a surgical abortion clinic. Often pregnant people are desperate to